Display support



Nov. 17, 1959 H. N. TICHNOR DISPLAY SUPPORT Filed Jan. 16', 1956 HEM fiFIG. 4

Y INVENTOR I M M ATTORNEY United States Patent DISPLAY SUPPORT Harry N.Tichnor, Waban, Mass., assignor to Colourpicture Publishers, Inc.,Boston, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application January 16,1956, Serial No. 559,169

'5 Claims. (Cl. 248-223) The present invention relates to displays and,more particularly, to a novel support which may be adjusted to displaypostcards and the like of various selected sizes in' desired relativelocations.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a readilyadjustable postcard display support characterized by a panel having anarray of regularly spaced apertures, and a plurality of postcardretaining brackets arranged as desired on the panel by cooperatinghook-like and detent-like projections that may be securely anchored inthe apertures but deftly removed when convenient.

Other objects of the present invention will in part be obvious and willin part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the product possessing the features,properties and the relation of components which are exemplified in thefollowing detailed disclosure, and the scope of the application of whichwill be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention,reference should be had to the following detailed description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing, wherein: V

Figure 1 is an enlarged perspective view of two of a plurality ofsimilar brackets, embodying the present invention, in association withan apertured panel or, socalled peg-board;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of one of the brackets of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the bracket of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the bracket of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the bracket of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 6 is a rear elevation of the bracket of Fig. 2.

The illustrated display support comprises a panel 10 having a pluralityof apertures 12 therethrough and a plurality of U-shaped integral sheetmetal brackets 14 which may be connected to the panel in variouslocations and orientations to provide groups of associated abutments forretaining stacks of postcards of various sizes in various locations tobest advantage. The centers of apertures 12, which are peripherallycircular, are arranged in equidistant horizontal and vertical rows sothat the centers of four collocated apertures define the corners of asquare.

Each bracket 14 comprises: a rearward section 16 which abuts againstpanel 10 and is connected thereto in a manner to be described below; amedial section 18, at right angles to rearward section 16, forsupporting the aligned bottom edges or retaining the aligned side edgesof a stack of postcards to be displayed; and a forward section 20, atright angles to medial section 18, for retaining the face of the frontpostcard of the stack and for holding a price tag when desired.

Projecting from the free extremity of rearward section 16 are a pair ofright angle hooks 22, 22 having extensions 24, 24 lying in a planeparalleling the plane of medial section 18, and continuations 26, 26lying in a plane rearward face of section 16 is approximately equal tothe thickness of panel 10 in order to enable hooks 22 to firmly grippanel 10. Struck from rearward section 16 are a pair of rearwardlyextending arms 28, 28 having at their free extremities a pair of detents30, 30. Arms 28, 28 lie in parallel planes that are perpendicular toboth the planes of rearward section 16 and medial section 18 in order topermit detents 30, 30 to separate as arms 28, 28 enter apertures 12 andto lock resiliently behind panel 10. Additionally, arms 28, 28, byvirtue of this orientation, provide maximum resistance to bending underthe weight of a stack of postcards supported on medial section 18.

Rigidity is imparted to bracket 14 by a gusset 32 in rearward section 16and a head 34 in medial section 18. Gusset 32 converges upwardly betweenthe openings from which arms 28, 28 are struck in order to utilize asmuch of reaward section 16 as remains available. Bead 34 is depressed inorder to avoid disturbing the flatness of the supporting surfacepresented by medial section 18.

A suitable price tag may be held by a pair of hooked lugs 36, 36 whichare aligned with the side edges of forward section 20, and a hooked lug38 which is aligned with the junction of forward section 20 and medialsection 18.

The relative positions of hooks 22, 22 and arms 28, 28 mustbe-critically predetermined in order to permit bracket 14 to beconnected to panel 10 with the plane of medial section 18 in horizontalor vertical orientation. When horizontal, medial section 18 is adaptedto support the lower edges of a stack of postcards. When vertical,

medial section 18 is adapted to retain the side edges of the stack.Extensions 24, 24 and arms 28, 28 lie at the four corners of a rectangleso as to snugly engage the peripheries of four collocated apertures whenmedial section 18 is either horizontal or vertical. Pilot holes 40 and42, preferably at opposite sides and opposite ends of medial section 18guide the sheet metal blank, from which the bracket is formed, throughthe progressive die in which the blank is cut and shaped.

In practice, the brackets are connected to the panel as desired todisplay postcards and the like of various selected sizes in desiredrelative locations. For example, two brackets, arranged as in Fig. I,retain one of the lower corners of a stack of postcards and twobrackets, arranged to mirror the brackets of Fig. 1, retain the other ofthe lower corners of the stack. Each bracket is connected to the panelfirst by introducing hooks 22, 22 into adjacent apertures 12 and then bysnapping arms 30, 30 into collocated adjacent apertures 12. Each bracketis disconnected from the panel simply by reversing these steps.

The present invention thus provides a display support having fewcomponents of extreme simplicity and exceptional versatility.

Since certain changes may be made in the above prodnot without departingfrom the scope of the invention herein involved, it is intended that allmatter contained in the above description and shown in the accompanyingdrawing shall be interpreted in an illustrative and not in a limitingsense.

I claim as my invention:

1. A display support comprising a panel having an array of aperturestherethrough, said array including equidistant horizontal and verticalrows so that four collocated apertures are disposed at the corners of asquare, and a plurality of brackets, each bracket of said pluralitycomprising a rearward section, a medial section and a forward section,said medial section having a pair of opposite edges, one of saidopposite edges being connected to an adge of said rearward section andthe other of said opposite edges being connected to an edge of saidforward section, said rearward section and said forward sectionlyinginplanessubstantially at right angles to the plane of said medialsection, a pair of hooks and apairi of detent arms extending from saidrearward section, each of said hooks including an extension lying in aplane parallel to. the plane of said medial section and. a. continuationlying in a plane parallel to theplane of said.

rearward section, each of said armslying inla plane substantiallyperpendicular. bothto the plane of said rearward:

section and to the plane of said medial section, the extensions of pairof hooks and said pair of detent arms being disposed substantially atthe corners of a rectangle, said corners of said rectangle being sospacedasto be capable.

of abutting against the peripheries of said collocated apertures.

2 A postcarddisplay supportcomprising a panel having anarray ofvapertures therethrough, said array including equidistant horizontalandvertical rows so that four collocated apertures are disposedsubstantially at the cor-- ners of; a square, and a plurality ofbrackets, each bracket.

of said plurality comprising a rearward section, a medial section and aforwardsection, said medial section being joined, to said rearwardsection and said forward section said rearward section and said forwardsection lying in planes substantially at right angles to the plane ofsaid medial section, said rearward section and said forward sectionlying in parallel planes, connecting means extending from therearwardsection of each bracket into atleast one of said apertures, atleast one of said medial sections of one of said, brackets beingsubstantiallyperpendicular to at least one of said medial sections ofanother said brackets.

3. A display support comprising a panel having an array of aperturestherethrough, said array including equidistant horizontal and vertical.rows so that four collocated apertures are disposedv substantially atthe corners of a square, and a plurality: of brackets, each bracket ofsaid plurality comprising a rearward sec.- tion, said medial sectionbeingintegrally joined to. said rearward section, and, saidforward-section, a medial ,sec-

tion and a forward section, said rearward section and said forwardsection lying inplanes substantially at right angles medial section anda continuation lying in a plane parallel to the, plane of said; rearwardsection, each of said arms lying in a plane substantially perpendicularboth to the plane of said rearward section and to the plane of saidmedial section, the extension of said pair of hooks and said pair ofdetent arms being disposed substantially at the corners of a rectangle,said corners of said rectangle being so spaced as to be capable ofabutting against the peripheries of said collocated apertures, themedial portions of at least one of said brackets being perpendicular tothe medial portions of at least another of said brackets, whereby saidmedial portions are adapted to abut against the bottom and side edges ofa stack of postcards.

4. The postcard display support of claim 2 wherein said apertures arecircular.

5. The postcard display support of claim 3 wherein said apertures arecircular;

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES. PATENTS755,116 Dreyer Mar. 22, 1904 825,774 Stumm July 10, 1906 1,374,451Heyman Apr. 12, 1921 1,416,969 OConnor May 23, 1922 1,938,370 BodkinDec. 5, 1933 2,440,412 Melchionna Apr. 27, 1948 2,480,805 Buckels Aug.30, 1949 2,485,406 Paine Oct. 18, 1949

